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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246140">If you cross her, then you cross me</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidensgyver/pseuds/aidensgyver'>aidensgyver</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>MacGyver (TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Anger, Broken, Darkness, Gunshot, Love, PACKAGE DEAL, Relief, Revenge, Romance, Tears, There For You, black hats, i got you, past catching up, shot, soft</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-09-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 13:14:36</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,068</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/aidensgyver/pseuds/aidensgyver</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Riley gets hurt, Mac is there to make sure she's safe, then he takes care of whoever hurt her.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Desiree "Desi" Nguyen &amp; Russ Taylor, Jack Dalton &amp; Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Jack Dalton (MacGyver TV 2016) &amp; Riley Davis, Riley Davis &amp; Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis &amp; Matilda "Matty" Webber, Riley Davis/Angus MacGyver (MacGyver TV 2016), Riley Davis/Desiree "Desi" Nguyen, Wilt Bozer/Riley Davis (MacGyver TV 2016)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>4</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>148</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>If you cross her, then you cross me</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Takes place after 4x13. Macriley are halfway through an established relationship (after time off from relationships), Jack isn't back yet.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The mission has been lopsided from the start. A half eaten up file of information and a crappy report from a retired field agent was all they’d been given at the briefing.</p><p>Now they were stuck in a penthouse, in a building with military grade security, zero internet connection and all types of signal blockers. And on top that all, the ledger they’d been pursuing with the supposed information regarding the black hats wasn’t on any of the servers.</p><p>“Mac..we have three troops seven floors away, 15 minutes max before they’re on top of us” Said Bozer, urgently rushing Mac along.</p><p>The blonde was scrummaging in the cupboard beneath the servers, trying to pull out anything he could use as fuel for some kind of explosive. Riley was in the corner, working away at a bunch of hard drives with her Swiss Army Knife.</p><p>“If I could just find some kind of container I might be able to…” Mac trailed off as he lifted up a giant plastic container, only to reveal the palm sized hole beneath. He dropped the bottle and breathed exasperatedly, “Shoot”.</p><p>He ran his fingers through his golden locks before Bozer spoke up again, “They cut our camera feed, 5 minutes tops before it starts raining bullets”.</p><p>Riley dropped the hard drive she was holding, “That’s the last one, no chip labelled 3349 in any of those”.</p><p>“Where is Russ and Desi?!” Shouted Mac as he ran over to the window and peered out. The red SUV they had rented was no where in sight, meaning help was no where in sight.</p><p>“So much for help, our comms are still blocked” Said Riley stripping the wire out of her ear.</p><p>As Mac continued to pace up and down the room, his mind racing, a few loud bangs sounded from down the hallway. Doors being kicked in.</p><p>Bozer rolled up his sleeves and grabbed a curtain rod laying beneath a desk, “Looks like it’s tooth and nail”.</p><p>“These guys cut the electricity too, what the hell are they?” Said Mac as he stuffed a plug into a socket, but to no avail. Finally, he pulled a lighter out of his pocket and flicked it on, “Breath deep guys, it’s gonna be hot, then wet” He said before setting flame to the carpet. He ran over to the under of the room and lit up the curtains on the window.</p><p>The fabric lit quickly, and before long; the room was covered in a thin layer of smoke. And that’s when the door flew open.</p><p>----------------------</p><p>Russ turned the wheel of the SUV like a maniac. The gas pedal was on the floor, but that didn’t stop him from making sharp turns at every corner. He had good reason to.</p><p>Desi clutched the grab handle tightly, “If you keep going like this I’m gonna throw up when we get there”.</p><p>Matty was on fire through the comms, ever since Mac, Riley and Bozer had entered that building, there had been nothing but static from their end. Horrible thoughts raced through their minds as Matty demanded information.</p><p>What’s worse is that Russ and Desi should have been downstairs holding up the lobby from anyone entering. As much as they could blame the rental company for giving a car with an empty gas tank, they had done a pretty lame job keeping an eye on the others.</p><p>Finally Russ pulled up a block away from the building and froze when he noticed the black plated Hummer at the bottom of the building, “If Matty takes my head after this, call my lawyer and sort out my will” Remarked Russ as he parked the SUV.</p><p>“I’ll be glad to” Came Desi’s reply as she loaded her gun. They slowly trailed alongside the wall of the building.</p><p>“Matty, how many guards do you count?” Asked Russ.</p><p>“Cameras are down everywhere, Taylor, we have no eyes or ears, you two need to gather reconnaissance yourselves” Said Matty. Back at the Phoenix the technicians were hard at work trying to override the signal jammers that had been placed in the building, but whoever had placed them was good. Exceptionally good.</p><p>And it made sense they were.  The leader of the group of black hats they had been after was Joseph Dortmund. A French spy gone rogue, also know for his close ties to the Collective, whom the Phoenix had gotten rid of.</p><p>“If Dortmund is in there, then we have zero percent chance of finding anyway to get our eyes back” Said Russ, still trying to count the amount of guards in the lobby, the dark tinted glass doing their part in making it all the more difficult.</p><p>Exasperated, Desi raised her gun and fired two rounds, shattering the glass. Almost instantaneously they were rained with a barrage of gun fire. Russ pulled Desi down behind a concrete roadblock, “That’s not how I intended to find out!” He screamed.</p><p>“You were taking too long!”.</p><p>As they continued to take fire, a loud wailing sound started to flow through the building. The fire alarm.</p><p>-------------------------</p><p>Three men, dressed in black military gear, each sporting muzzled handguns marched into the room. The spitting of the flames did not deter them in the least, and they stomped through, kicking over each server and pushing around every desk.</p><p>Until Bozer jumped out. And Mac. Then Riley.</p><p>The first mercenary was taken out by Bozer, a swift punch to the jaw all it taking to knock him out. Mac took care of the second, getting a hold of the guy’s gun, before jamming the butt on the back of his neck. Riley swept the third over, a knee to the face and a hard drive smashed over his head leaving a hump of human.</p><p>“Let’s go, there can’t be more too far behind” Said Mac as he ushered Bozer and Riley out of the burning room, carrying a gun with him. As they raced down the corridor, the heavens opened up.</p><p>Well, not the heavens, more like the sprinkler system.</p><p>“Staircase!” Shouted Bozer, pointing at the door with a green staircase sign.</p><p>Riley opened the door and the raced through, just before the staircase door on the opposite side of the hall slammed open. As Mac ran through, he caught a glimpse of the first guy through the doorway. The bright flash of red hair all it took for him to realize who it was. Joseph Dortmund.</p><p>“Run, run and don’t stop!” Shouted Mac as the trio darted down the staircase. It wouldn’t be long before the mercenaries were hot on their tail.</p><p>A loud scratch of static sounded in their earpieces and their comms roared to life. Only it wasn’t Matty they were hearing. It was Dortmund.</p><p>“Kill the guys, I want Artemis alive!” Came the thick French accent.</p><p>Mac froze, against his own order to keep moving. What the HECK had just happened?</p><p>Riley and Bozer must have heard the same thing two, because they froze half a staircase down. Riley’s eyes widened in horror. She looked at Mac, who had an equal amount of shock in his eyes.</p><p>It was a trap. It was all one huge trap.</p><p>-------------------</p><p>Russ and Desi somehow managed to return fire. One blindly returned fire, covering for the other to pick out a target. It was a painfully long and dangerous procedure but before long, the five guards had all been taken down.</p><p>Scanning the area, Russ quickly led the way to the front of the building, stopping to put a bullet in the back tire of the Hummer.</p><p>“Sometimes it’s better to let bad guys in a hummer get away, especially when there’s only two of us with guns” Snapped Desi at Russ’s action.</p><p>“I don’t like Hummers, British thing” Russ said sarcastically as he walked through the shattered window frame, “Okay Matty, we’re in”.</p><p>Suddenly they heard Matty scream into the comms, “GET OUT, BOTH OF YOU!”.</p><p>Russ didn’t hesitate a second, grabbing Desi’s arm and diving back to where they came from. Only they didn’t have to worry about getting through the shattered window frame, the blast force behind them ensured they just did.</p><p>-----------------------</p><p>Based on what Dortmund had been screaming in the comms, it wouldn’t be long before they had apprehended all three of them. Mac had grabbed a roll of wires and had been sawing away at them as they raced down the staircase.</p><p>They reached the 12<sup>th</sup> floor, still a long way to go.</p><p>Mac took the half cut wires and plugged them into a socket at one of the staircase landings. The electricity had somehow come back to life, and the current immediately flowed through the cables, leaving wild blue sparks jumping at the end of them.</p><p>Handing one to Bozer, he carried on descending the stairs, “No one touch the railings” He called.</p><p>“This whole thing was a trick from the beginning” Said Riley, through drained breaths, “The message from Phoenix, they must have wanted us to intercept that”.</p><p>“And the half baked info must have been planted as well” Added Bozer.</p><p>“The ledger was a hoax to get us in here, they knew you’d be the one up there to access it” Said Mac. Whoever this Dortmund guy was, he knew a lot about them, Riley in particular.</p><p>“He has ties to the Collective, that’s one thing that’s probably not made up in that file” Said Riley, remembering they were the only mass black hat circle that had known her identity as Artemis.</p><p>As they reached the 10<sup>th</sup> floor, they heard sets of boots marching up towards them. “They’re coming this way” Hissed Mac as he pulled open the door to the 10<sup>th</sup> and stuffed Riley and Bozer through.</p><p>This floor was the same as the others, lined from one end to the other in office doors. As they ran to the other end, in an attempt to exit through the other staircase, the center door flew open and a red headed man stepped through. Dortmund. He’d trapped them again.</p><p>----------------------------</p><p>Russ pulled himself to his knees, moaning as he did so. Desi lay on her back on the cold concrete, a small cut in her lip dripping blood, “What the hell just happened?”.</p><p>Russ grabbed her hand and helped her sit up, “What I’m more intrigued is how Matty knew there was a bomb in there”.</p><p>Matty, along with help of the Phoenix techs, had managed to get the camera feed back online. The blue wire running from the digital clock on the wall, which was displaying the incorrect time, all to suspicious to be normal.</p><p>“The clock” Said Desi as she retrieved her gun, “It was rigged”.</p><p>“Could have guessed”.</p><p>The fire alarm had cut out, the blast severing whatever cables pieced the sound system together.</p><p>“Mac, Riley and Bozer are on the 10<sup>th</sup> floor near the east stairwell!” Called Matty from the crumbling comm line, “Get there, fast!”.</p><p>Deciding not to waste anymore time, the duo sprinted towards the staircase.</p><p>Russ swung the door opened and immediately stepped back as a rain of plaster and concrete showered down from the ceiling, “How subordinate!” Exclaimed Russ as he stumbled through the mess and making his way up the stairs.</p><p>Desi, still slightly shaken by the blast, followed a bit slower.</p><p>-----------------------</p><p>The blast that went off rattled the entire building. The rumble caught Dortmund off guard, and he fell to his knees as shards of paint rained down on them.</p><p>The three agents didn’t waste any time and sprinted towards the east staircase. Growling in anger and frustration, Dortmund opened fire. The bullets went far and wide, none seeming to be aimed at any target.</p><p>Not deterred by the bullets or the fact that a bomb had just gone off, the three kept running, infuriating Dortmund even more. Troopers had now entered the floor and were behind Dortmund, hot in pursuit.</p><p>Bozer burst through the doorway first, stumbling down the first set of stairs before landing on his knees. Mac second, before turning around to pull Riley through.</p><p>Well, almost.</p><p>Dortmund raised his gun, took steady aim, and fired.</p><p>The bullet struck Riley in her abdomen, and she shouted in pain as her legs gave way. Her laptop clattered to the ground and her head smashed into the metal doorframe before she collapsed.</p><p>“RILEY!” Screamed Bozer and Mac simultaneously.</p><p>The blow on the head had knocked her out cold, and a small pool of blood streamed from beneath her shirt. Bozer ran up the stairs and grabbed Riley’s arms, “You take her legs!” He shouted at Mac as more bullets flew past the doorway.</p><p>Mac, still shouting Riley’s name, ignored Bozer’s plan to carry her together. Instead he bent down and scooped her up in his strong arms and kicking her bag and laptop to Bozer made his way down the stairs.</p><p>There was no time to check where the bullet had hit or how bad it was, but by the amount of blood she was losing in the small amount of time, Mac was alarmed. He silently prayed Russ and Desi were somewhere nearby because he knew they’d need to get her to a hospital in no time.</p><p>Ideas raced in his head of what he could use to stop the bleeding, but they were interrupted by the several shots ringing out a few staircases above them. These guys knew very well how to waste bullets.</p><p>Suddenly Bozer froze, and Mac did behind him. “What is it Boze?!”.</p><p>Footsteps. Someone was coming up towards them. Mac let out a huff of sheer frustration. They were trapped again. He motioned to the door and Bozer swung it open. Before they could step through, they heard voices. “Matty, we’re on the 5<sup>th</sup> floor and still no sign, we can hear several gunshots, how far is backup out?”.</p><p>Russ.</p><p>He and Desi appeared around the staircase and both of their jaws dropped when they saw the others.</p><p>All covered in white paint soot and dust from the blast, Bozer carrying Riley’s belongings, and Riley’s limp body cradled in Mac’s arms, blood dripping to the floor.</p><p>Russ cursed himself, it was his fault. Why the hell did he think he could full up the gas tank and be back quick enough to keep an eye out for them?</p><p>“She’s been shot!” Shouted Bozer as they continued their descent. Desi gave Matty the message, who in turn called a local hospital to prep and operation as soon as possible.</p><p>Mac had no idea where he was getting the strength to carry Riley’s entire weight and speed down ten sets of stairs. He kept looking at her face, trying to hear her breathing. It was low and her face had turned pale. Thoughts and scenes Mac could never imagine now raced through his mind.</p><p>He should have taken the bullet, he should have been in the rear, keeping Riley in front of him. What would Jack say if he knew his little girl had been shot on Mac’s watch. What would Diane say?</p><p>“Hold in there, Riles, I got you, we’re gonna get you to hospital and you’re gonna be fine, just hang in there” He whispered into her ear as they reached the lobby. Russ returning gunfire seemed to hold them off a bit, and Dortmund’s French slurs echoed along the walls.</p><p>A small moan escaped Riley’s lips as Bozer helped Mac put her in the back seat. They piled in and raced away. Mac removed Riley’s jacket and lifted her shirt to examine the wound. The bullet had gone straight through, and had most likely damaged an artery, judging by the amount of blood.</p><p>“How long before we get to med?!” Asked Bozer, as he tore out a first aid kit from his bag.</p><p>“Ten minutes max, they’ll have an operating bed ready when we get there” Replied Desi, as she strained to survey the scene. Russ remained quiet, the curses rolling beneath his tongue.</p><p>Mac grabbed one of the anti-bleeding gauzes from the kit and placed it firmly on Riley’s stomach. Her mouth opened in pain, but no energy or voice for a scream to come out. Mac’s heart was crashing seeing her like this. It was the first time she had been shot, and he could never dream of it ever happening.</p><p>“Bozer, I need you to press firmly on the wound, <em>don’t </em>let go!” Mac said, as Bozer replaced his hands over the gauze.</p><p>Mac rummaged through the first aid kit and pulled out a tranexamic acid injection and plugged it into Riley’s arm. The acid was designed to prevent blood clots in the case of heavy bleeding, and he prayed it’d be enough to get her to the hospital safely.</p><p>After a painfully long drive, Russ finally pulled up to the hospital. A group of paramedics were waiting outside the door, a stretcher ready.</p><p>Mac grabbed Riley again and got out of the car, the other three just behind him.</p><p>“Gun shot to the abdomen; I think it’s an artery!” He said as he gently lowered Riley onto the stretcher.</p><p>“Okay, we’ll take it from here” Said a paramedic as he attached an oxygen mask over Riley’s face. Mac squeezed her hand tightly, “Riles, stay strong, please” He whispered, barely able to hear his own voice. They rolled the stretcher away and towards the elevator as more doctors rushed over.</p><p>Mac looked down at his hand’s and jacket, they were coated with blood. Riley’s blood. The girl he loved so much and tried so hard to protect had been hurt on his watch. He had no idea how to forgive himself.</p><p>---------------------------</p><p>A Phoenix SWAT team showed up an hour later and were immediately placed in pursuit of Dortmund, Desi joining them as well. Russ, Bozer and Mac stayed back at the hospital along with two other SWAT members.</p><p>Dortmund wanted Riley, Artemis, and according to what they knew about him, he’d attack a hospital just to get what he wanted.</p><p>The operation was horrifically long, and Mac sat in the chair, his head in his hands the entire time. His inside were boiling, not only from fear and sadness at seeing Riley like that, but at anger and hate towards Dortmund for doing what he did.</p><p>He swore to himself he’d make Dortmund pay, sooner or later.</p><p>Mac jumped up every single time a doctor walked in or out of the room, his heart skipping a beat with every sound he heard. Desi was still with SWAT, working on tracking down Dortmund. Bozer had gone out in search of coffee, and Russ was pacing up and down the hall.</p><p>Finally, the older agent came and seated himself next to Mac, “It was my fault” He said quietly.</p><p>“Blames on all of us” Replied Russ, “We did a shitty job the whole mission”.</p><p>Mac looked at him, “I was right there, all that I needed to do was hold the rear, instead I let Riley stay in the back  and… “ Russ cut him off, “No need, Angus, right now all you need to do is clear your head, we need to find Dortmund, and fast” Russ placed his hand on Mac’s shoulder, “He was after Riley, and we’re going to make him pay for that”.</p><p>Mac nodded quietly. Russ was right, he was gonna make Dortmund pay.</p><p>Three hours and two coffees (a dark French mix with too little sugar, Bozer needed to work on his French) later, a doctor walked out of the operating room, a washcloth in his hands.</p><p>“Which one of you is MacGyver?” He asked. Mac stood up immediately, his heart racing, “That’s me”.</p><p>“Okay, the bullet cut an artery, the damage was critical but not life-threatening. She’ll be asleep for the time being, and a there are a couple more surgeries in line,  but once she recovers, her feet will be stronger than ever”.</p><p>Mac cupped his hands over his face and fell to his knees in sheer relief. Russ leaned back and exhaled loudly. “You can see her now if you want to” Said the doctor before hurrying off to another operation room.</p><p>Mac slowly made his way in followed by Russ.</p><p>The sight in front of his eyes made his heart melt. Riley looked so small and fragile in the bed, the oxygen mask over her face dwarfing. The fountain of white sheets and a hospital gown made her look even more petite. Her straightened hair laying neatly over his shoulders.</p><p>Mac had never seen her this weak before, she was always the strong, independent, and witty Riley that he knew. And seeing her like this made him swear again to make Dortmund pay.</p><p>He leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss on her forehead, rubbing his hand over her smooth hair, “I’m so sorry, Riles” He whispered. Russ came over and pressed his shoulders reassuringly, “She’ll be alright, Mac, she’ll be just fine”.</p><p>The blonde continued to stroke Riley’s hair, his heart burning with grief for all the pain she had to go through. Russ brought over a chair and Mac collapsed in it, not sure how he could stand on his legs any longer. His stomach was in a turmoil going through all this.</p><p>Only a few minutes had gone by until Russ’s phone began to ring loudly. Matty.</p><p>--------------------------</p><p>There were several black SUVs parked outside the warehouse, including the Hummer, which now sported a rather kinky spare wheel. Desi and several Phoenix SWAT were stationed along the wall adjacent to the door as Russ and Mac pulled up.</p><p>Desi pointed to the camera positioned on the corner of the structure, warning Russ and Mac to keep low as they approached. “How long before they cut the power?” Asked Russ as they joined the others.</p><p>“Techs working on that, there’s no power box around to do it the old fashioned way” Replied Desi.</p><p><em>“Riley would have had it done with by now</em>” Thought Mac, the fact that she wasn’t there making his stomach feel restless. He shook his head and tried to concentrate; if there wasn’t a power box outside like there should be, it probably meant they were expecting people to attempt to knock the power out.</p><p>Before Mac could speak up, Desi raised her fist, “Powers out”. The row of SWAT officers began a slow approach to the door, which seemed the to be the only way in or out.</p><p>The door had a simple bolt, which seemed unusual. Sliding it open, one of the officers sent a small wire beneath the door. With no rigs or booby traps in sight, the door was swung open and they made their way inside.</p><p>Straight infront of the bad guys.</p><p>The door led to a large balcony, overlooking a murky courtyard. At least 15 men dressed in black had gathered around a large set of screens, Dortmund’s red mop visible in the middle of them.</p><p>The sudden entrance had them startled, and they stared up in horror as several SWAT members sporting rifles flooded through the entrance. Overtaken by panic, one of the men pulled out his handgun and opened fire.</p><p>And then the whole warehouse erupted.</p><p>Mac and Desi ducked behind a freight container which sat on the corner of the balcony. The higher ground gave the Phoenix SWAT a major advantage, but the shooting was fierce. Ducking beneath bullets, Mac surveyed the scene.</p><p>A metal plate, about half the height of a person, was plastered to a wall behind the screens display. It took a second to figure out the plate was a trap door, but the moment it clicked Mac noticed a red headed figure making his way to it. Dortmund.</p><p>Two other mercenaries, who seemed to be bodyguards for the red head followed him. The black clothed gunmen were dropping one by one as the SWAT took them out, and by the time Dortmund had made it through the trap door, both his bodyguards had been dropped.</p><p>Gunfire still fuming, Mac nudged Desi, “Keep them busy” He said before turning for the entrance. A bullet ricocheted off the metal door as he opened it and he flinched before diving through the entrance. He heard Desi shouting after him, but his mind was focused on one thing. Stop Dortmund before he got away.</p><p>Scaling across the wall, he heard the loud clang of the trap door slamming shut, then the wild, clumsy shuffling of footsteps.</p><p>Dortmund came stumbling around the corner, no weapon in hand. He made a dash for one of the SUVs, cursing loudly, but froze in his tracks as he saw Mac approaching.</p><p>A wicked grin spread across his face as he stood up straight, “MacGyver” He laughed in his hideous French accent, “Artemis is dead, isn’t she?”.</p><p>Mac bit his lip, fury building inside of him. Clenching his fists tight he forced an arrogant smirk onto his face, “No, she isn’t, and you’re gonna pay for what you did”.</p><p>Dortmund took a few steps forward, confident he could best Mac in a hand to hand fight, “You have no idea how much that bitch cost me”.</p><p>“She came clean!” Shouted Mac in reply, his fury slowly seeping out, “She gave up on you guys, she changed for the better good, to save lives!”. What he was saying was true, no matter how much she gave up on being a black hat, they’d still be after her, her skills invaluable.</p><p>Dortmund snorted as Mac continued, “And what did you do? Went after her, tried to drag her bag in to do your dirty work?!”</p><p>“First my collective, then Bedlam! Millions, MacGyver, she cost me fucking millions!” Yelled Dortmund in reply.</p><p>The scenes of Riley collapsing, blood dripping flashed through his mind, and Mac shook his head in pure anger, fire swept through his veins, and finally Dortmund charged at him. A swinging hook went wide, and Mac landed a solid right to the man’s gut. Choking on air, Dortmund staggered back, and Mac wasted no time in sending another blow across his nose. Then an uppercut to the chin. And a hook to the temple.</p><p>Blood dripped from Dortmund’s mouth as he collapsed backwards, his face turning a dark shade of purple. But the younger guy didn’t stop. He stood over Dortmund and landed blow after blow on the criminal’s nose. The bone was long broken, but the anger inside Mac wasn’t.</p><p>“Wait..stop!” Sputtered Dortmund, spewing blood as he held up his forearms in weak defense. Mac pressed his knee on the solar plexus, pushing any remaining breath out the man’s lungs. Squeaky moans escaped from Dortmund’s mouth as he got his face pummeled even more.</p><p>Mac paused for a moment between his blows, “You crossed a line, Dortmund, you crossed <em>her</em>” Then landing another blow on the guy’s nose he added, “Which means you crossed <em>me</em>”.</p><p>Footsteps across the gravel driveway finally sounded, and Desi and Russ both grabbed Mac’s arms to stop him from dishevelling Dortmund’s face anymore. Mac growled in anger and tore out of their grip, giving the red head one last death stare before turning away and marching off.</p><p>Neither Desi nor Russ spoke to him about it. They both knew Dortmund deserved it. And on the way back to the hospital, not a word was exchanged.</p><p>--------------------</p><p>Mac and Russ proceeded to give statements to local law enforcement about the incident before Dortmund and his men (those who had not been shot) could be processed.</p><p>Bozer and Desi both stayed back with Riley at the hospital. Riley had gone through three surgeries in the painful 48 hours since the shooting. One to remove the bullet, then repair the artery, and finally a patch-up job. The French doctors were exceptional and had promised her a quick recovery.</p><p>“Welcome to the club” Said Bozer as he and Desi walked in. Riley raised her eyebrow. She had managed to prop her pillow up enough to sit, and her bed had been swapped to a wider one instead of the narrow surgery table.</p><p>Bozer laughed, “You’re the only one who never took a bullet, until now”. Desi rolled her eyes and Riley shook her head, “Don’t tell me you’re offended, I know it hurts” He continued.</p><p>“You know what, Bozer, how about you join a club where everyone knows how to tell a good joke” Sneered Desi, and Riley laughed in unison.</p><p>Bozer smirked, “You two need to work on your humor, it’s poor”.</p><p>Riley raised her finger, “Bozer, remember the time you told Matty that her swimming pool..”.</p><p>Bozer cut her off abruptly, “Woah, I’m just glad you’re okay, you see, one in five people..”, now it was Desi’s turn to cut Bozer off. She pulled him by his shoulder and dumped a pile of change in his hand, “Machine down the hall, any decent soda that’s there, will ya?”.</p><p>Bozer groaned, but made his way to the door, “I’ll be back in a second” He said before dashing out.</p><p>“Truth is” Said Desi as she pulled over a chair, “Vending machine is two floors down”.</p><p>Riley looked at her from the corner of her eye, “So how’d you catch Dortmund?”.</p><p>“Mac got him before he could turn tail, beat him black and blue”.</p><p>“Mac beat him black and blue?”</p><p>“He did my job”.</p><p>Riley wondered what on earth had happened there, Mac hardly ever opted for a fight, he’d come up with some kind of exploding device or drop something on the guy’s head. But beat him black and blue?</p><p>That was different.</p><p>“How’re you feeling?” Asked Desi, snapping Riley back into reality.</p><p>“Like there’s a canon ball lodged in my stomach” She huffed in reply.</p><p>“You owe it to Mac, really” Said Desi leaning forward, a voice quietening ever so slightly.</p><p>Riley looked at her, “Owe?”.</p><p>“He carried you down ten flights of stairs, to the car and out to the hospital, the whole way, he didn’t even let Bozer help”.</p><p>Riley nodded slowly, processing what the other girl had just told her. He’d carried her the whole way. Damn.</p><p>------------------</p><p>Two hours later and Russ’s desire for French cuisine was too much for him to handle, and he dragged Desi and Bozer along with him in search of a resteraunt.</p><p>Mac was still with the SWAT team and had gone to oversee the impounding of the bad guys vehicles.</p><p>Riley lay on her bed; half propped her eyes closed. She hadn’t eaten anything the whole day, and the tray of whatever food it was had remained by her bed side the entire day before a nurse, deciding it wouldn’t be eaten, had removed it.</p><p>Bozer had swapped the uncomfortable, crinkly hospital blanket with a softer fluffy one.</p><p>As she wandered between dozing off and being awake, she heard the door open ever so slowly. Then it closed as softly as it had been opened.</p><p>It wasn’t a nurse, the footsteps too slow and steady, not Bozer as he would be speaking before he came in, not Russ’s squeaky soles on the tiles, nor Desi’s strong perfume. That left one possibility; Mac.</p><p>The rustling of a plastic bag being settled on table nearby meant one thing; food. Riley and Mac had both discovered their joint dislike for French cuisine during a horrendous double date with Desi and Riley’s old ex.</p><p>Hearing the bag, she knew Mac had obviously bought something more edible, something both him and her liked.</p><p>Then he moved closer, and she felt his hand slowly lower on her hair, then ever so gently running down to her nape. Touching anyone like that would make them flinch, but it made Riley relax. Her eyes were still closed, so Mac must have thought she was sleeping.</p><p>She felt his lips press against her forehead, and finally a bright smile graced her face.</p><p>Mac, now knowing she was awake, moved his hand until it came below her chin and rubbed his calloused thumb across her cheek, “Riles”.</p><p>Riley cocked her head to the side playfully, “MacGyver”.</p><p>Even though her eyes were still closed, she could sense his smile and soft laugh. He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers, and she felt his warm tears sliding down.</p><p>Even though Riley had no idea why, a tear of her own bubbled up in the corner of her eye, and just as it rolled down her cheek she felt Mac wipe it away.</p><p>She reached up with her own hands and cupped Mac’s face, wiping away his tears as she finally opened her bright eyes and looked at him, “Why are you crying?” She whispered humorously.</p><p>They both knew why the other was crying; sheer relief from seeing each other again, but Mac shot the question back, “Why are <em>you </em>crying?”.</p><p>She laughed and leaned her forehead on his again, letting their tears of relief and exhaustion mingle together.</p><p>And they stayed like that, foreheads together, for as long as they could. After what seemed like forever, Riley finally moved her head back, immediately missing the warmth that came with the contact. Mac kissed her on the tip of her nose, running his hand across her cheek, “How’re you feeling?”.</p><p>“Tired” Replied Riley wiping her eyes, then motioning to the bag, “What’d you buy?”.</p><p>“Pizza” Smiled Mac, bringing the bag over, “Without pineapples".</p><p>Riley smiled and accepted the brown paper bag, settling it on her lap. Mac placed a pile of napkins on the side of the bed before sitting in a chair, pulling out his own slice.</p><p>The spent the next few minutes munching in silence, until Riley broke the silence, “So Dortmund was with the collective?”.</p><p>“Not exactly, he was the mastermind behind it though, invested his life savings in it, about 2.2 million from what the records show”.</p><p>“What about Bedlam?”.</p><p>“Collective offshoot too, Dortmund found out you were the one who shut it all down when Mason leaked our info on the dark web” Said Mac.</p><p>Riley set her empty plate on the stand next to the bed before downing a glass of water, “I doubt he’s the only one who wants me to pay for all that” She said quietly.</p><p>Mac leaned forward and grabbed Riley’s hand, squeezing it tightly, “Don’t worry, Riles, I’m here for you, if there are any left out there, I’ll make sure we stop them”.</p><p>Riley’s eyes welled up with tears again as she looked at Mac, the feeling that there were people after her because she had made the right decisions in life was overwhelming. Riley had gone through prison, payed the price for all she had done. But Her past couldn’t seem to get off her back, and the thought of it was enough to crush anyone, even if they had as much resilience and grit as she did.</p><p>“Thanks, Mac, thanks for being there when I needed someone”’’.</p><p>Mc squeezed her hand tighter, since Jack had been away, he’d made sure that if she ever needed someone he was there. And despite feeling skeptical if he had done enough to help the girl he loved so much, hearing that made him feel at ease. Seeing tears slide down her flawless cheeks again, he pulled himself closer, “Hey, you were there when I needed someone, I’m not going to leave you alone, ever”.</p><p>Riley nodded, fighting back the stinging tears in her eyes. Mac stood up and wrapped his arms around her, clutching her head to his chest. She threw her arms around his waist and held on tightly.</p><p>Mac held her tightly for as long as he could count the time, and slowly he felt Riley’s grip loosen. She was exhausted beyond her wit. First being shot, then finding out her past still lurked was enough grief for her to handle.</p><p>He slowly laid her down on the pillow, making sure to pull the blanket up over her chest. He placed a hand on her hair and whispered quietly, “I got you, Riles, I got you”.</p><p>Finally, drowsiness catching him, he sat back down in the chair and leaned his head back. Before he knew it, sleep overtook his senses and a deep slumber overtook him.</p><p>But all that mattered was that they were safe. Riley was safe. And that meant the world to him.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Hope you enjoyed it! Plz make sure to follow me on Twitter @MjxStingray ! Thank you.</p><p>FYI- I rushed the ending part a bit so it’s not AS well written as the first half..:)</p></blockquote></div></div>
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